Boy pulled from SW Philly pool dies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Authorities say a boy pulled from the bottom of a city-owned pool in southwest Philadelphia last week has died.

Lt. John Walker of the Philadelphia police Southwest Detectives division told the Philadelphia Daily News that the boy was taken off life support Saturday night.

Mayor Michael Nutter on Sunday identified the victim, who was pulled Thursday from the Cobbs Creek Recreation Center pool, as 7-year-old Jabriel O'Connor.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Jabriel's parents, family, friends, and all of the young people present at the Cobb's Creek Recreation Center on Thursday as they grieve," Nutter said in a statement.

City officials said the boy was with a private group of children swimming at the pool when he went under Thursday afternoon.

Police said there were as many as 30 children in the pool at the time but there was adequate staff on duty, including four lifeguards and four counselors.

"It's a tragedy," Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson told the paper. She said the boy, who was unable to swim, was near the middle of the pool, which ranges from 3 to 5 feet deep. He was not wearing a life vest.

"We had the necessary procedures in place," Slawson said. "We're going to do everything we can to figure out what happened and how we can prevent this in the future."

Police have been talking to other children, camp counselors and lifeguards as part of their investigation.

"We're not sure if the kid had a medical incident, got kicked in the head, took some water on and went under," Walker said. "There could be a whole lot of scenarios."